NCPC partners Catholic Pilgrims Committee

THE Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has perfected plans to partner with the Abuja Catholic Archdiocesan Pilgrimage Committee in order to move Christian Pilgrimage in Nigeria to greater heights and encourage Christians who are Catholics to go on pilgrimage.

Executive Secretary of NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara disclosed this recently in his office while playing host to members of the Abuja Catholic Archdiocesan Pilgrimage Committee who paid him a visit to acquaint themselves with the activities of the Commission and to see how NCPC and the committee could work in close synergy to get more Catholics involved in pilgrimage activities.

The NCPC boss explained that partnership between the commission and the committee would go a long way to help Catholics wishing to travel to the Holy Land through the Commission enjoy the concessional exchange rate approved by Mr. President.

The Executive Secretary added that the procurement of visas would be made easy for them through this partnership, adding that the Committee would be dealing directly with their intending pilgrims in selling of forms and payment.

In his words, “through partnership with your committee, we would be sure that no pilgrim would abscond”, while encouraging the committee members to continue to sensitize Catholics about pilgrimage so that the needed awareness would be achieved.

He explained that the Commission has a calendar of activity which is approved by Mr. President at the beginning of every year, noting that the Commission has been working earnestly in line with its calendar of activity.

Opara used the opportunity of the visit to congratulate the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence John Onaiyekan for his elevation to Cardinal, assuring them that he would continue to support the new cardinal through prayers.

In his response, the chairman of the committee, Rev. Father Daniel Agbe explained that their visit was to see the arrangements put in place for a hitch-free pilgrimage exercise this year and to see how the committee could partner with NCPC.

He thanked the executive secretary for receiving them warmly and commended him for taking pilgrimage in the country to a new level.